Pages

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Biking with Geoff

Geoff and I both spend a lot of time cycling, but rarely together. There are several of reasons for this. Like many people, our schedules and abilities only brush together in thin strands. He works afternoons; I work evenings. He's training hard for serious races; I'm still leery about laying hard on the cranks. Geoff has technical experience that stretches back to the days when I still believed 10-speeds were the end-all of cycling; I ... well ... I'm still focused on keeping that whole crank-turning thing together.

So we have our different paces. We have our different priorities. He wanted to ride 50 miles. I wanted to be at work by 2 p.m. But like all those couples engaged in a constant struggle between ESPN and The Food Network, we make it work. He turns the volume down a bit, and I pretend that the joys of technical singletrack aren't terribly overrated (After all, we're only riding loops over the footprint of a melting glacier, not traversing the Rocky Mountains.) And as he ever more gently urges me to try cleaning a log I've already nearly endoed over, I'm definitely thinking, "we should do this more often."

Not that we're really that incompatible cycling together. I guess I just think it's funny that we have any differences at all, when we're both overzealous about the exact same thing. It's like sharing the same religion, going to the same church, sitting in the exact same pew, listening to the same sermon, and envisioning two different rewards. He's thinking "Go to Heaven." I'm thinking "Stay out of Hell."

But when we waver long enough to work our way to middle ground, we find ourselves riding together, here.

(I don't know why these pictures are so blown out. I think I'm not the only one overwhelmed by all of this clear-sky sunlight.)

(At first glance, this picture is boring. But I really like the distinct layers of green hues.)

6 comments:

That could only be uttered by someone who actually gets to see that everyday. Before I read the caption, I was already thinking, "My god, that's awesome. That would make an excellent desktop wallpaper."

Great pics, as usual, and I love your comparison of mtn bike abilities/desires to religion. Mtn biking is an interesting discipline in the fact that where one person might think a particular trail is "totally gnarly!", his/her riding partner is thinking, "uggh, that looks totally gnarly."

Here on the east coast, there seem to be so few women on the trails, let alone couples riding the trails. Maybe it's the lack of terrain here compared to the rockies or the west coast or Alaska - hence fewer people find the joy of trails since there are fewer of them. Keep up the great pictures - it can only help to inspire everyone to get outside, and ride.

Definitely *not* a boring pic!!! Wow, it's amazing there! That trail looks fantastic. I've been primarily road biking lately, but that makes me want to hit some trails again on the mtn bike. Nice to see you and Geoff riding together! My husband Jeff and I do almost all our rides together. It's pretty unusual, I guess, since we don't see many other couples riding. I'm sure biking together causes us to get out riding more often than if it was something we were doing individually.

I just stopped by to say hello. I reside in Alaska also, Wasilla and prior to that Kenai and Homer.I had started working on a Blog do not know how to do much at this time except for trying to make my own. I am learning..Also I enjoyed all your photos especially since I take so many of my own in our Wonderfull State.I am not sure how to keep in touch threw the blogging or if I am doing this right! Beautiful Blog, I may not be a bike cyclist but am in the motor cycle world. It is all good.Don't think me silly but any help or communication would be great.lynn@fullmooncustomcycles.com